Mobile Phones/Laptop Interference

[seekayess]

I have read it quite often that many civil aviation pilots have had -- or, know of someone who has had -- interference in aircraft avionics due to passengers switching on their mobiles in-flight or using their laptops.

At present, just about EVERY airline requires you to switch off your mobiles when in the aircraft.

And now, I read this news item:

Aircell To Launch Airborne Broadband Internet

Aircell has installed 92 cell sites across the country to bring 3.1 megabit per second internet access to aircraft. The company's system uses onboard technology to amplify the signal and split it into separate Wi-Fi streams to offer passengers internet access via the wireless device of their choosing (subject to air carrier, or pilot, approval). Aircell says the connection speed should mimic that of a home DSL connection and the company plans to roll out the service, dubbed GoGo, on American Airlines flights this spring. Pricing plans are expected to chime in under $15 for a coast-to-coast flight and may include on-demand TV shows and movies for an additional charge. The hardware can be retrofitted to aircraft overnight adding a total weight, including servers and antennas, of less than 50 pounds while enabling everything from laptops to iPhones. Aircell expects other airlines to quickly follow American and has already announced that Virgin American will follow, this summer.

At least one previous attempt to bring the internet into the world of airborne aluminum tubes was pioneered by Boeing's Connexion in-flight satellite service. That program was shelved after 9/11 and after Boeing reportedly invested close to $1 billion in the project.


Since I am NOT an airline pilot, I would be interested in knowing your considered opinion on this.

[PBL]

There is lots to say about radiated EM fields in passenger aircraft, and much of it has been said in various places on this forum.

If you are worried about mobile phone service, consider the following. The UK CAA found that cell phones could engender field strengths in cockpits that were in excess of certification requirements for avionics, but not by much. The reason why use of cell phones is banned at all times on flying aircraft is not because of the aircraft, but because airborne cell phones violate one of the technical requirements of the network, namely that each phone shall only be within reception range of one antenna, except at well-defined boundary areas. The US ban comes from the FCC, not from the FAA. Putting an antenna inside an aircraft cabin means that cell phones will not transmit at full strength, trying to reach an antenna - or many - a few thousand feet below, but will have one within a few tens of feet, and therefore will conduct transmissions at low strength. Having an antenna on board is therefore likely to reduce the strength of fields generated by cell phones (up to now inadvertently left on), and thus ameliorate any interference caused by unwantedly strong fields.

However, from a social point of view, there are those of us that welcome phone-silent zones on public transportation.

PBL

[jshg]

In my UK airline we've bowed to the inevitable and permitted the in-flight use of mobiles with 'flight mode' - i.e. not transmitting - but in the full knowledge that some retards will forget to switch to flight mode, or will just not obey. It astounds me how many people keep their mobiles on in flight, judging from the cacophany of beeps on short finals when flying as a passenger.
As I understand it the difficulty is that it's not possible to assess the effect on the aircraft of each transmitting mobile, so best switch them off. We have had one provable example of an empty flight where the engineer's laptop appeared to be affecting the aircraft. I believe mobile interference has been at least considered in the LHR 777 crash.
In the example you quote they're talking about wi fi, not GSM, so this should be safer (although several UK schools forbid wi fi transmitters because of their supposed damage to children's health).

[Dream Land]

However, from a social point of view, there are those of us that welcome phone-silent zones on public transportation.It will be complete mayhem, they will have to have armed guards on the aircraft to quell the fights that will break out, definitely not a good idea. :*